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The Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, which runs through parts of Luzerne and Wyoming counties, is now moving natural gas.

The pipeline went into full service on Oct. 6 after approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The main section of the new construction begins in Susquehanna County and runs south for about 183 miles until reaching Lancaster County, connecting with the existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, or Transco. The project also included two other smaller loops totaling about 12 miles.

In Luzerne County, it runs though portions of Fairmount, Lake, Lehman, Ross and Dallas townships.

With the addition, the pipeline connects Marcellus gas with markets as far south as Alabama and allows for natural gas to move in either direction along the line, according to the website of owners Williams Partners L.P.

The Transco pipeline is the largest-volume natural gas pipeline in the country. The project involved building nearly 200 miles of new pipe and two new compressor stations, as well as upgrading two existing compressor stations. It adds about 12 percent capacity to the system, which can now move 15.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas in a day.

The entire country used about 74.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day in 2017, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The project will meet the daily energy needs of more than 7 million American homes, according to Williams.

The pipeline is coming into operation as natural gas production and use is booming in the United States.

Gross withdrawals — gas extracted from wells and before any is lost to extraction or processing or otherwise spent — increased from just over 60 billion cubic feet per day in 2006 to more than 90 billion cubic feet per day in 2017.

In that time, Pennsylvania’s production went from went from a negligible amount to the second-highest production of any state. Texas produced the most natural gas of any state.

Even with the increased domestic use, the United States became a net exporter of the energy source in 2017, the first time in nearly 60 years

The project has had proponents and detractors. Supporters pointed to the economic benefits of the addition of major piece of energy infrastructure or the energy independence it provides. Opponents have said it could bring negative health and environmental effects, or have been concerned with the pipeline crossing in or near their property. Now that the pipeline is in the ground, responsibility for safety oversight falls to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The project will allow the state to maximize benefits from the Marcellus formation, said Gene Barr, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, in a press release.

“This multi-billion dollar private infrastructure investment is supporting current and future natural gas production and investment in Pennsylvania, which will ultimately boost employment and tax revenues for the state,” he said.

Those potential tax revenues are an issue in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Gov. Tom Wolf has long championed a severance tax, to no success. Scott Wagner, his Republican opponent, has spoken against a severance tax.

Contact the writer:

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillW

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